An object-to-be-towed, such as aircraft, baggage carts, cargo carriers, portable stairs, and other apparatus having wheels, often have to be transported, maneuvered and positioned quickly and with a minimum of manual effort. Towing vehicles are commercially available to transport the apparatus, but currently available hitching apparatus is difficult to manufacture, easily damaged, heavy, awkward to use, and presents a hazard to the object being towed if not properly handled. The arcuate travel of existing breakaway towing devices known in the art is not limited, and thus the towing apparatus may buckle during turning.
Therefore, what is needed is an improved towing apparatus for releasable securement between a wheel of an object-to-be-towed, and a towing vehicle, which will flex but not buckle, and which limits the arcuate travel of the breakaway towing apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,004,773 by Fred Ankemey, issued Oct. 17, 1961 is representative of the art of breakaway hitches. Once the rollers breakaway from the notch provided, the hitch is free to buckle up to ninety degrees in horizontal travel in either direction. This may cause the object being towed to collide with the towing vehicle, and can cause serious damage to the wheel and gear of the object to be towed. The tubular draft tongue of Ankemey's invention is rigid, and thus subject to damage if bent or deflected during use. The single tension spring and tension means provides no safety factor should they become damaged during use. The user may easily override the breakaway feature by tightening bolt 85 to overcome this safety feature.